Brugal 1888 Edicion Limitada Ron Gran Reserva Familar 2010

Brugal is one of the Dominican Republic's three big houses, and unlike many Spanish style producers it tests effectively dry, which sets the tone for this 1888 Gran Reserva Familiar single cask bottled from a 2010 vintage. Distilled from molasses on a column still and bottled at 40%, it leans on barrel character rather than added sweetness.

The nose is nutty and roasted with coffee, cocoa and dark chocolate, while the palate shifts to spice, vanilla, a floral note and oak, finishing warm with fruit, spice and more nutty tones. Reviewers rate it among the better Brugal expressions and recommend letting it rest in the glass, though one finds it less convincing on the nose and palate. Brugal's genuinely drier style is a real selling point here, giving a Dominican rum with a more savoury, chocolate and coffee accented profile than the soft, sugary norm of the category.